Logan and Professor Xavier checked on Henry's progress in the lab as he analyzed Roxanne's blood. Charlie had fallen asleep in the chair next to her daughter's bed, holding the small hand in her own. Every now and again her thumb would stroke the back of Roxanne's hand. Something about her was familiar to Logan but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"How's it going, Hank?" Professor Xavier asked the blue man. "Any progress?"

"I think so. Her cells are quite extraordinary." Hank moved so Charles could look at the microscope. "A virus has been introduced into her system and like her mother said, it's changing her mutation."

"Changing it how?" Logan asked, his arms crossed over his chest.

"It's bonded to the mutation gene and making it unstable, hence the morphing of her hands. Since Roxanne's healing factor hasn't fully kicked in yet, the virus is attacking her body more extremely than it would were her factor working properly. That's not the interesting part, though."

"There's more?" Logan quirked an eyebrow.

"She didn't catch this virus naturally. It was introduced to her system from a third party."

"Is there anyway to lower her fever and alleviate her pain?" Charles asked.

"I'll keep trying but so far nothing has worked. We may just have to let the virus run it's course." Hank said regretfully. "I may be able to synthesize a regulator if I can get some of her father's blood. His X gene may help stablize her."

"Do we know who her father is?" Logan glanced at the sleeping pair.

"We'll have to ask Ms. Dubois when she wakes up."

"Let's ask her now." Logan moved to do so when Charles stopped him.

"Logan, she's hardly slept and she needs her rest to take care of her daughter. It's stressful and exhausting to take care of a sick child, let alone one that may require special treatment. I don't envy her situation." Charles watched Charlie for a moment then spoke again. "Logan, would you take her upstairs so she can sleep more comfortably? When she wakes up she can come down again."

Roxanne immediately whimpered at the feeling of her mother's hand leaving hers but quieted again a moment later. Hank promised to stay with her until Charlie returned.

-0-

A school bell ringing woke me up and when I sat up, my shoulder throbbed, bringing last night back to the front of my memory. Stumbling out of the bed I hadn't fallen asleep in, I finger brushed my hair when someone knocked on the door. "Come in?"

Logan pushed the door open and tossed me a grey hooded jacket. "Professor needs to talk to you."

"Do I know you?" I asked. His scent itched at the back of my brain but I couldn't place him. I pulled on the jacket and zipped it up. "You seem familiar..."

"Sorry, lady. I don't know you." Logan shrugged. "Professor's waiting."

I followed him to an elevator that took us to the lower level infirmary and found Dr. McCoy sitting next to Roxie, reading to her. He noticed us as we walked in and closed the book. "Good morning, Ms. Dubois."

"Please, call me Charlie." I shook his hand. "How's she doing?"

Dr. McCoy filled me in on what he found out and I'll admit that I started to panic a little. He offered the chair besides Roxie's bed to me and I sat down. "Do you know how the virus could have been introduced to her system?"

"She just got several shots a couple days ago but we've been going to Dr. Patterson for years." I ran a hand through my hair. "He's the only pediatrician that would see her."

"What about her father?" Dr. McCoy asked. "Is he alive or in the picture?"

"I haven't seen him in four years." I answered simply. "Is it really necessary that he be here?"

"It might stabilize her enough for her body to fight this off." McCoy answered.

"I have no idea where he is." I sighed.

"That shouldn't be a problem." Professor Xavier appeared in the door. "Is he a mutant?"

"Yeah. He's a feral."

"What's his name?"

"Victor Creed."

Everyone in the room shared a look and Logan growled. "He ain't comin' here."

"You know him?" I asked, confused.

"Yeah. He helped Magneto take Rogue." Logan snapped.

"Calm down, Logan." Professor Xavier said. "We will do our best to help Roxanne but Sabretooth will put our students in some discomfort."

"I can help keep him in line. He'll listen to me."

"How are you so sure?" McCoy asked.

"He's my mate. It's a long story but he'll listen."

The professor examined me for a long moment but then conceded. "I'll find him and send Storm and Logan to retrieve him."

"I should go with them. You may need me to help keep him calm." I said reluctantly. I didn't want to leave Roxie but Victor wouldn't hurt me. I hoped.

1965

"Victor, please don't go." I begged him for the hundredth time as he put some clothes in a rucksack. "What if you don't come back?"

"You don't have to worry about that," Victor collected me in his arms and tried to kiss me but I turned my head. He decided to nuzzle my neck. "I can't die, sweets."

"Just because you haven't died yet doesn't mean you can't." I countered, refusing to let him seduce me until I was done talking to him. His hand slid up my thigh and met the hem of the dress I was wearing, then slipped under it.

"Look at me." Victor commanded in a soft tone. He could hardly be described as a hopeless romantic but every now and again he would be sweet and honest. I looked at him and he was serious when he said, "I always come back."

"Can't you wait a little longer?" I asked, trying to sweeten the deal with a kiss. "Jimmy won't mind."

"Kitten, I'm leaving and that's the end of it." Victor released me and turned back to his packing. "How long can it possibly last?"

I knew he was itching to kill someone again but when we moved to the commune, we promised that we wouldn't hurt anyone here. I was the one who wanted to move here, just for a sense of normalcy until I got bored or found something better, but he hated it. The war in Vietnam had been going on for a while now and I was surprised he didn't enlist sooner. Victor and his brother had been in pretty much every war since they started but I was always a nervous wreck when he left. I wanted to join up as a nurse or something but he was against it from the start. He wouldn't put me in harm's way, especially where he couldn't protect me (even though I told him over and over that I could take care of myself).

"You ready, Vic?" Jimmy surprised me when he appeared, his own rucksack over his shoulder. He was less than pleased to be going to another war but he followed his brother and figured he may as well do some good since he couldn't really get hurt.

"Take care of him, Jimmy." I hugged the younger half brother of my mate. "Take care of yourself."

He grunted in lieu of an answer and squeezed me with a hug. Victor stiffened when he came into the front room and saw me in Jimmy's arms and there was a good reason for that. I had been with Jimmy until I spent more time with Victor, realizing the elder brother was my mate. Even though I remained loyal to Victor, he was always uneasy when I was alone with Jimmy. "Hands off my girl, Jimmy boy."

I moved out of his arms and Victor grabbed me, kissing me like it would be the last time. I heard Jimmy clear his throat and I was released, watching my boys leave.

It was maybe six months later when Emily, a mutant that lived here on the commune, came running up to me, a letter in her hand. Victor rarely sent me letters, the rare exception being a silver locket on my birthday. It felt heavier than a letter should so I assumed that Victor sent another gift. "Is it from him?"

Emily saw Victor and I as star crossed lovers and assumed our romance would end tragically, but she was still over invested in our lives. I smiled as I opened the envelope and pulled the letter out, my eyes falling on what was providing the extra weight in the envelope. I froze as I stared at his dog tags resting inside.

"What is it?" Emily asked, not understanding what the signifigance was. She snatched the letter and began to read. "We regret to inform you that Victor Creed was found guilty of murdering an officer and sentenced to death by firing squad. His sentence was carried out at 0800 on Nov. 7."

"What about Jimmy?" I managed to stammer. "Is there anything else?"

"No." Emily replied. She took the envelope from me and dumped the contents into her palm. "There's two sets of tags here. Who's Howlett?"

Dead. They were both dead. I let out a howl and clenched my fists, my claws extending in my palms and causing blood to drip onto the dirt. Snatching the tags away from Emily, I started running, slashing at anyone who was stupid enough to get in my way. Never mind that these people were my friends and wouldn't harm a fly. I had lost my mate and right now, I was out for blood. When my energy was finally exerted, I collapsed in the middle of a pile that consisted of several bodies. My face was drenched in tears and blood and I clutched the tags so tightly that I was afraid I'd bend them. My flowered dress was torn and I put the tags around my neck. I'd find Victor and Jimmy.

It took some bribing but I managed to get to the base where Victor and Jimmy were stationed. After a long and irritating navigation of the base, I found a secretary of sorts. He called his superior, Major Stryker, and he spoke with me. "What can I do for you, miss?"

"I received a letter that Victor Creed and James Howlett were..." I choked on the word. "Executed. I needed to know if it was true."

Stryker sighed and put a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Sweetheart, I'm afraid it is true. Privates Creed and Howlett had their sentence carried out several days ago."

"Can I see them?"

"I'm sorry." He didn't seem sorry at all. "They aren't here."

"Where are they?"

"I can't disclose that information unless you're a family member." Stryker said.

"I'm Victor's girlfriend."

Stryker shook his head. "I can't tell you anything except that I'm sorry for your loss."

He turned on his heel and walked down a corridor. I huffed and stalked out of the building then followed his scent, tracking him to a different building. I found his office and entered before he did, waiting for him. When he entered, I grabbed his jacket and shoved him against the wall, my claws extending and ready to strike. "Tell me where Victor and Jimmy are or I'll kill you."

"You must be a mutant too." Stryker surprised me by smiling. "I could use a woman like you."

"Cut the shit." I shoved my arm against his throat. "Where is Victor?"

"Gone." Footsteps approached and hands yanked me away from Stryker. He straightened his jacket then continued. "I believe you know your father and grandfather. They've been especially helpful."

Father and Granddad started to drag me away, struggling to keep their grip on me. "Come, Charlotte. Give up this man."

"Victor!" I screamed as they pulled me down the hall. "Victor!"

"We're here." Storm's voice brought me out of my memory and I looked out the front window. We had landed in a field with a treeline in close sight. A cabin was barely visible in the middle of the trees.

"Wait here." I said, moving to get off the jet. "I don't know how he'll react to me, let alone you."

"I'm comin'." Logan got up, chewing on an unlit cigar. "Just in case."

A change in his scent told me that he wasn't going to change his mind so we got off the plane and approached the cabin carefully. I pushed open the door and found a fire burning but an empty living room. Logan closed the door behind us and I continued my exploration of the cabin. I opened a door and found a massive bed, jumping when the door slammed behind me, a hand wrapping around my throat. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Victor?" My eyes adjusted to the dark room. "I need your help."

Logan was pounding on the door, trying to get it open. The combination of my body against it and Victor's grip holding me there kept him from doing so. His grip tightened and I knew he wouldn't kill me but it was difficult to breathe. "Please. Our daughter needs your help."

"What daughter?" Victor growled.

"She's four and very sick. Her name is Roxanne."

Victor hesitated but released me. "Prove it."

"I have a picture of her in my locket." I said. "Can we go in the other room so you can see?"

He grunted but nodded and followed me out, snarling when he saw Logan. I stepped between the two as growls erupted. "Victor, please."

I opened my locket and he examined the picture, taking in her features. I took a minute to observe the difference in his appearance. Long blonde hair had replaced his short, dark hair and his clothes now consisted of furs. His eyebrows seemed to connect with his hair and ultimately making him look like a wild man. "What's wrong with her?"

"She's got a virus and we think your genes can save her." I looked in his eyes and I begged, "I know I don't deserve anything from you but she's my everything. Please help me."

He waited for a long few minutes before he finally replied. "Fine. Not for you. For her."

"Thank you."

-0-

The plane ride back to the school was tense and awkward. It took a lot of willpower to not look at him, even though I could feel his eyes on me. Logan seemed unconcerned when he led us to the elevator and took us to the lower levels.

"Where is she?" Victor demanded and I showed him where she was sleeping. He approached her bed carefully and stood over her. Logan and I had a quiet conversation where I convinced him to go away and leave us alone for now. When we were alone, I joined Victor next to the bed. "She's perfect."

"She's a lot like you." I couldn't help but smile when I looked at Roxie. Brushing her hair away from her face, I noticed her fever was still high. "I love her very much."

"I finally marked you." Victor drew my attention to his face. He was examining the scars he had left on my face.

Dr. McCoy cleared his throat as he entered the room. "Mr. Creed, I need some blood from you."

Victor grumbled but knew it was for Roxie, who he seemed to fall in love with immediately, and sat down, pulling his sleeve up. When his blood was drawn, McCoy said that Xavier offered a room upstairs for me for the duration of my stay then left us alone. We sat in silence for a long while, just watching our daughter. I lost track of time until Logan requested we go upstairs and meet with the professor.

"During your stay, Mr. Creed, you will stay away from the students." Xavier's tone left no room for argument. "You will also dress in a more civilized manner. Charlotte, he may use the facilites in your room."

I nodded. "Do you have some clothes he can wear?"

"Logan will send some up." Xavier said. "If you assault any of our students or make them feel threatened, then I will use the forces at our disposal to keep them safe."

"He won't cause a problem." I promised. We were dismissed and I followed my scent to the room I used this morning, pushing the door open and letting Victor in. He showered, taking longer than I expected but I spent the time pacing the floor of the room. When he exited, a towel wrapped around his waist and the muscles of his body still defined, I ignored the lust that pulsed through me. Logan hadn't brought the clothes yet so I turned my attention to his hair. Using my brush to de tangle the blonde mess, I proceeded to secure it in a low ponytail and keep it out of his face. Finally, clothes were delivered and I turned my back so Victor could get dressed.

"Gettin' shy now?" He asked, coming up close enough behind me that I could feel his breath on my neck. "Don't be. It doesn't suit you."

"Are you dressed?" I breathed, resisting the urge to pin him to the wall and claim my mate. "We should get back."

"Am I making you nervous?" Victor's lips hovered an inch over my skin but his animal instinct wouldn't let him touch me unless I invited it. All I had to do was lean into him and he would be mine again.

A/N: Well, folks? Does she ask him to take her back or no? Would you be interested in hearing the past relationship (and first meeting of Charlie and Victor)? Leave a review and let me know. For anyone who's interested, this story was set before X Men 1 and 2. Some themes from X Men 3 will be introduced from here on in. :)

Brigid: His appearance in previous chapters has been based off the Liev version but after he's rejected, he turns into the blonde animal man.

OptimusPrimegirl: Virtual cheek kisses to you, dearie. Thanks for always reviewing. (love your username, btw)

Jinx: Yes, a second mutation is rare but it's not a natural mutation. The connection to Logan will click soon but she's got a lot on her mind. :) Hopefully the flashback was something you enjoyed.